Funding Proposal for EDISON-20 Conference Buffalo, New York, 07/17 - 07/21/2017

This program supports the participation of U.S. students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists in EDISON’20, “the 20thInternational Conference on Electron Dynamics in Semiconductors, Optoelectronics and Nanostructures”. This meeting is the 20thedition of a biennial international-conference series that was first held in Modena, Italy in 1973. With its long history of cycling between Europe, Asia, and the U.S., the EDISON conference serves as the premier forum for researchers working on the study of nonequilibrium phenomena in semiconductors. EDISON’20 is a five-day, single-session conference that features a program consisting of some 15 invited talks, given by internationally-renowned academics from the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Their keynote presentations cover topics including (but not restricted to): terahertz phenomena in semiconductors; quantum transport in novel two-dimensional semiconductors; topological insulators; mesoscopic phenomena in semiconductors, and; semiconductor spintronics. The invited papers are supplemented by some 30 contributed talks, selected from almost 120 abstracts submitted in response to the conference’s call for papers, and by two poster sessions that each consist of close to 40 different reports. This critical mass in terms of scientific content ensures a highly vibrant conference, in which leaders in the field have the opportunity to interact closely with early-career scientists. DOE support provided to this conference promotes the participation of underrepresented minorities and early-career scientists. The participation of women is encouraged by the presence of two distinguished female scientists among our keynote speakers, and by a “Women of EDISON” networking event that is held during the conference. The latter event is open to all registered participants, regardless of gender, and provides the opportunity for female attendees of EDISON’20 to network with senior scientists, and to learn about upcoming openings in their laboratories. Outreach to minority groups is encouraged by publicizing the sponsorship opportunities made possible by DOE support to national organizations such as the Urban League, the National Society of Hispanic Physicists, the National Society of Black Physicists, and the National Organization for Women. In this way, impact is achieved by encouraging members of such groups to pursue a career in science.